British Bandsman Concert Series
Reading Town Hall
Saturday 8th June 

Unlike Kevin Costner in the film ‘Field of Dreams’ it takes much more than just putting together a concert series programme to persuade paying punters to forego other weekend attractions to come and listen.

Reality provides no fantasy happy ending however well-meaning the intentions. Building audiences takes hard graft and determination, cold calling and arm-pulling, marketing offers and sheer bloody mindedness. 

Hopefully the lessons learnt will be taken on board (as well for bands taking part in the forthcoming BBE Brass Band Week who sponsored the event) for a series that holds such a great deal of promise based on the musical excellence shown by BONE-AFIDE and Tredegar later in the day.   

Outstanding

The award-winning trombone quartet were outstanding; Isobel Daws, Robert Moseley, Merin Rhyd and Angus Butt displaying a level of refinement in their performances that never sounded anything other than authentic in whatever style or genre embraced.

The award-winning trombone quartet were outstanding; Isobel Daws, Robert Moseley, Merin Rhyd and Angus Butt displaying a level of refinement in their performances that never sounded anything other than authentic in whatever style or genre embraced.

Aided by the ingenuity of the repertoire, both original and arranged, they delivered with artistic elan from start to finish. Works by Dan Jenkins, Kodaly, Rossini, Saint-Saens, Callum Au and Errollyn Wallen provided the eclectic canvas on which they displayed the full range of their talents in the first half. The second brought Tchaikovsky, Every, Lynn, Rimes, and Au.

Fused

The interplay and counterpoint, osmatic texture and tonal subtlety was fused like layers of musical lasagne oozing richness and meaty substance; at times lean and marbled at others chewy and juicy – and all built on a foundation of plum porter bass trombone sauce.   

The interplay and counterpoint, osmatic texture and tonal subtlety was fused like layers of musical lasagne oozing richness and meaty substance; at times lean and marbled at others chewy and juicy – and all built on a foundation of plum porter bass trombone sauce.   

The stylistic virtuosity was nimble and elegant – each player seamlessly taking their turn in the spotlight; from the familiarity of Rossini’s ‘William Tell’  and funky Caribbean pulses of ‘Brukdown’,  to the lyricism of ‘Cariad Caerlyr’  and darkly hued balances of ‘The Peacock’.

Amongst other highlights there was a grooved blues swagger with ‘Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child’  and viscous catchiness to ‘Sway’.   The excerpts from ‘Swan Lake’  combined the delicacy of tip-toed cygnet pas de chat and with the dramatic final death fling into the lake.

Acclaim and applause came in abundance. They should have deserved it from many, many more though.

Iwan Fox